Stormy—Chapter 6: Observing the Changes ︎

After I got several ranting messages from Icy and Darcy I knew today was going to get even better. Mayhem class was, of course, my favourite as it usually is. It's one of the few classes that is basically identical to the one at Cloud Tower. My last class though was… a class. It's History of Magic, and the only person I know who even remotely gets an ounce of enjoyment out of that class is Icy. But she's Icy The Future Politician—or lawyer, or whatever she wants to do, I just know it involves politics and arguing—so am I surprised? Hell no.

I pull out my phone as I slam my potionology textbook into my locker to actually read through the paragraphs those two sent. Leaning against my locker, I first open Icy's; even before I fully open the text I can see that she's pissed from the amount of beautifully colourful language.

The message reads:"Dufor is such a pain in the motherfucking ass omfg. The class went on as usual about the Dragon Wars and how strege apparently didn't do shit, and at the beginning of that class the pixie who's kissed up to the blonde himbo introduced herself. Fate hates me because now that annoying girl is in my class for this entire semester! And at the end of the class Dufour said I have to tutor the little shit! I'm gonna suffer…"

I use every bit of self-control I have not to cackle and startle everyone around me in the process. At this time all the students are going back to their dorms or out to Magix City to let loose after the day, so the hallways are crowded. At least everyone gives me a wide berth—whether I like it or not, but hey, benefits—so now I can move on to Darcy's message in peace. She somehow seems more pissed than Icy, and she rarely sends me or anyone ranting messages about her feelings after "the situation," so something very bad must've happened.

Her's reads:"You know what I told you about me running into one of the new students during the fair at lunch: Iorda? Well, the same one is in my class and is seated right next to me. Just… fuck, Zathursa gave us an exercise to find out the side effects of our magic and we had to do it in partners and gUeSs wHo mY pArTnEr wAs? For some concerning reason that makes me doubt her sanity, she was fine with me using my magic. On her. Like the genuine fuck? And she heard about the rumours too, she isn't deaf or something, and she just… doesn't care. Dragon, she makes me so irritated I am going to lose my mind."

Well, that is news for sure. It's not something that happens every day, that someone interacts with Darcy without having something extremely rude and out of line to say or without being, well, scared out of their mind. It's been a very long time since someone besides Icy and I was so uncaring over things we've supposedly done, even if it is someone with very low levels of self-preservation, at least according to Darcy. I'm just surprised someone would just ignore everything that easily…

And on the topic of Icy, this is the least pissed she's been while ranting about someone for a while. Even through all the profanities, I can tell she's more irritated than seriously angry that she has to tutor the fey that was with Sky earlier. Wait… If this is the first time in a while this has happened, then maybe… the fey that's apparently a 'little shit' might help Icy in some way. I chuckle to myself, typing out an answer. Oh, this semester is getting off to a good start.

To both Darcy and Icy in the separate conversations I type out, 'That's gay,' before stuffing my phone back into my pocket. No doubt there will be an even longer and more intense rant from the two after we all get back to our dorm now that it's the end of the day. I turn around and start walking down the now almost-empty hallway—

"YO! PERSON I FORGOT THE NAME OF!"

I pause as the few people remaining in the hallway glance behind me—probably wondering who the hell would scream that loud, but then again, I can't judge considering I downright screeched that I was late for potions this morning—and then I turn around. The girl with pigtails, Musa, is speedily walking towards me before stopping in front of me. With a smile on her face,actuallywanting to interact with me. Damn, I still can't get over that.

Chuckling, I wave briefly, ignoring the few gazes of people around us. "Good to see you again. And it's Stormy."

"Stormy, okay, gonna try to remember that this time. Oh!" Musa says quickly before rummaging through the binder in her hands, pulling out a piece of paper. She smiles conspiringly. "I know how you wanted to join the music committee but that class-A dick stopped you, sooo I got a music choice sheet for the dance from one of my friends, Galatea, who is one of the sub-heads of the committee. She wasn't feeling well this morning so she wasn't at the fair, but she said even if you can't join the committee you can still choose some songs for it!"

I stare at the pale yellow paper in her hand as she hands it out. She somehow remembered the conversation we had even though we're basically strangers and found it significant enough to go to her friend to get one of these sign-up sheets. If I'd known you could still suggest songs even if you're not on the committee I would've… Yeah no, I wouldn't have done this. That would probably mean asking the committee for a sheet and after what happened during lunch hour and I have no intention of doing that.

"...thanks," I say slowly, taking the sheet out of her hand. "I… actually really appreciate it."

"No problem!" Musa says, glancing at the watch around her wrist and frowns. "I could tell you were really excited about it so I thought I might as well pick up a form for you." She pulls out a second copy of the same form from her binder, but this one had a cursive-written list of song names and artists. "I got one as well, so hopefully the dance won't be like the one at your old school like you said."

Unable to stop myself from smiling, I slide my form into the pages of the textbook in my arms. "That's if you have good music taste," I smirk before remembering that the only reason Musa isn't on the committee is because of the argument between me and class-A dick. "Sorry… about the thing that happened at lunch. If… you didn't get into the fight—I appreciate that you did, but that's not the point—then you'd probably be in the committee…"

Musa frowns for a moment, eyes widening. "Oh, I don't care about the committee that much anymore. That guy was rude and I wasn't going to stand by while he gave you shit for no reason." Her smile returns as if it never left. "And we can still choose songs for the dance if, and I quote, 'you have good music taste' or not."

She... doesn't care about the committee. I was at least expecting her to be a bit bummed out but she's just not. Musa's frown seemed more like something of surprise or sympathy, and I can only tell because I've been around Darcy most of the time. Being in the presence of someone who reads people that well, even if that same person has a big overthinking problem, somehow blessed me with some of her intuitive abilities.

Musa seems… genuine, and she was the same at the fair. Throughout the day she would've heard some of the rumors. I can tell why Darcy was frustrated over interacting with someone who does or could know about the rumours and just doesn't care about it. Knowing everything that's happened you just can't help but think that it's all a trick…

"Musa," I say plainly, meeting her in the eyes that widen. "Have you… well, heard any rumors about my sisters and I? Also… you were there with Sky, the blonde. You must have some questions about that."

Musa pauses, opening her mouth to answer before she sighs, picking at the corner of her binder. "If I'm being totally honest here, I have. Heard rumors that is." She glances at the black and fushia watch on her wrist. "I… do have to make my way to my dorm. I promised my friends we could meet up there after classes ended. If you want we can keep talking as we walk, if your dorm isn't too far."

"What's your dorm?"

"Winx tower, yours?"

"Ancestors'," I answered, crossing my arms in front of me to ease myself. Deep inside I was worried that this entire talk would make this one person who's been kind to me treat me just like everyone else here. "We can walk. They're just next to each other on the opposite side of the campus from the school building."

Musa nods, and the two of us begin to walk through the empty school toward the exit closest to the East side of the school field. It's going to be a long walk through the inside of the school and across the field, so it gives us both time to talk. Even if it's… weird to have this conversation, more nerve-wracking than anything.

"Yeah so, I've heard rumours," Musa admits, shrugging her shoulders as we walk side by side down the main hall. "And about what happened with your sister… My friend said that even if a lot of people honestly seem to hate you three, we don't know what happened; the circumstances of your lives or how it affected you. It was still… a shock, but Sky will be fine."

I purse my lips, burying the irritation at the mention of Sky, instead thinking about how Musa's friend would probably get along well with Darcy. "Your friend seems… insightful."

Glancing to her left at me, Musa smiles calmly. "So anyway, you seem like a good person. The rumours exist, but personally, I think they aren't true." Her smile falls for a millisecond before rising up again. "You like music, you've been nice to me, and that's enough for who likes music as much as you do can be a bad person."

Genuinely, I need to ask one of my sisters why Musa is making me feel so reassured when I just met her. It's not as if I don't trust people's opinions normally, but Musa's seems more… true. That's the best way I can explain it. We're both into music and are both passionate about it—even if my passion for the topic is just listening to it, singing in the shower, and making sure this dance's music choice goes well—it makes sense that I, well, trust the opinion of somehow that I share an interesting connection with.

Smiling, I push open the door of the school as Musa and I walk through it. "I… Thank you. A lot of the rumours are bad, so I'm actually…" I laugh to myself. "Glad you don't care about them or don't believe them right off the bat."

"No problem!" Musa says as she closes the door behind her then quickly looks across her field, eyes narrowing. I follow her gaze and I see a girl with long brown hair partially dyed purple, dark clothing, who is leaning against a tree. Musa glances back at me before waving at the person. "That's the friend I was talking about. Hey, Iorda!"

My eyes widen and I barely have time to get over the shock. Iorda is the person Darcy was ranting about and is the same insightful person who supposedly would get along well with my sister—I mean, Iorda hit the nail on the head about the circumstances of our lives et cetera et cetera—so I guess I was right about that. But… even over text, Darcy seems the most full of emotion besides guilt and cynicism that she's been for a long time…

Iorda turns her head towards Musa and waves back with a smile, walking over to the two of us calmly. I can tell why Darcy described her as the person you'd least likely expect to be fey, wearing pretty much all black that would normally send a typical fey into a coma, but I don't care about that. This is the person who finally got Darcy to open up about her emotions.

Even that emotion is being pissed.

I mean, Musa and I are getting along well, Icy and the fey girl in her class clearly have a budding rivalry, and Iorda somehow got Darcy a bit out of her slump so… Maybe I was right that this semester will actually be a good one—haha, take that sisters—and if not that, then at least it's different than the limbo last semester was.

"Hey Musa," Iorda greets calmly before she glances over to me. "Question, your name is…?"

"Stormy," I answer plainly, and the only reaction out of Iorda is the slight widening of her eyes and a nod. She knows who I am, but… just like Musa, she doesn't care. Damn, two people in one day, very refreshing. I smirk "The one and only."

Musa and Iorda chuckle slightly and I join them before Musa pauses, looking worriedly at her friend. "Wait… Are you doing alright? Classes ended twenty minutes ago."

Iorda sighs, a small smile on her face, glancing back at the tree she was leaning against. "Just… was struggling not to accidentally hear people's thoughts towards the end of the day. Haven't had to deal with it for a while so it was just a lot."

"Hey, at least the faculty is pretty understanding over the fey-strege thing," Musa says calmly, and Iorda shrugs in agreement. Wait… When I first ran into Musa she said something about one of her friends going from fey to strege and that was the reason all her friends transferred here altogether. If Iorda is the same person then this just got way more interesting.

Musa pauses, and she probably sees the very visible confusion and deliberation on my face because then she looks at Iorda—the fey/strege/whatever nodding with a teasing smirk on her face—before she gestures to Iorda while doing jazz hands. "Yeah so, Iorda's the friend I told you about that went from fey to strege and whatnot. I kinda wasn't supposed to mention that before but…"

"I wouldn't have told you if I minded if you told people!" Iorda laughs. "I know you too well, and I know you can't keep a secret if someone paid you to do so."

"Hey!" Musa exclaims, putting her hand to her heart dramatically. "You wound me. Wait, actually, that depends. How much money are you offering? Are we talking enough money to get a coffee or enough to get a guitar or something? Because if it's only enough to get a coffee I'll keep whatever secret you need, I amweakfor a good black coffee."

My eyes widen, ignoring the ache in my chest—that I have no fucking idea what it means and I sure as hell won't question it, but anyway—that appears as I witness Iorda and Musa just… talking and laughing together and for some reason it… Never mind.

"How the hell can you drink that stuff?" I ask, feeling a smile on my face. Icy drinks straight black even though she's anything but, and I tried it once before spitting it out in the sink. That stuff is nastier than Androsian seaweed and that's saying something.

Iorda's looks pointedly at Musa. "See? Two to one, it's horrible!"

"Says the one who hates coffee in any form, uncultured swine," Musa says, laughing as she crosses her arms in front of her, glancing at me. "She can't even have coffee when it's 80% milk. Sadly, she cannot appreciate the beauty of it."

"Okay," I start, looking at Iorda instead of Musa, because even if the latter likes black coffee—ugh—at least she likes some type of it. Most days coffee is what gets me out of bed in the morning and I couldn't even live without it. "How are you even functioning? Coffee is beautiful!"

I didn't even have to learn that a year ago Darcy, who literally only drinks tea, challenged Icy and I that we couldn't survive a single week without any coffee. Darcy also gave up her tea, but she made it through the entire week while Icy and I were exhausted and suffering from headaches for the entire week. Could have we given up? Sure. But we didn't—by some miracle because that week was worse than hell week—and so forth we made it through our week with our pride and dignity intact.

"One, because I'm the only one who actually sleeps, on the other hand, this gremlin—" Iorda gestures to Musa. "Went to bed at two am last night even though today was the first day of school. If I'm really tired in the morning I'll mix a bit of coffee with my hot chocolate and whatnot, but I just don't like the taste of it much."

"Two am?" I repeat in total shock, turning to Musa who shrugs as if she didn't only get probably four hours of sleep. "Okay, you two are both crazy. Even more than me and that's saying something."

"I accept that," Iorda laughs, glancing at her phone before her eyes widen. "Oh crap, I think Bloom and Stella think we're dead right now based on how much they're spamming the group chat…"

"Damn," Musa says. She walks over to her friend and leans over her shoulder to read the messages before she smirks. "No Flo yet? That means we're still safe if the mom friend hasn't started spamming as well. Though if she starts messaging let me know because then we only have a few seconds before she somehow finds us and drags us to the dorm by our hair." She looks at me. "Sorry, we should probably get going to the dorm. And by 'get going' I mean bolt as quickly as we can even if it kills us."

"Before the mom friend drags you back?" I question mockingly. "Don't worry, go. I need to get to my dorm as well before my sisters wonder where I am."

"It was great to meet—" Iorda starts, waving slightly before Musa grabs her by the wrists and starts pulling her along as she starts racing to the Winx Tower; pale pink and blue bricks in anything but a tower formation, more like a mansion several timers bigger than a typical one. "Musa I'm gonna trip goddammit!"

"Bye Stormy see you around if I don't get killed by mom-friend!" Musa screeches, the two of them already halfway across the field before Musa lets go of Iorda's hand and they continue running quickly towards the tower.

I smile as I watch them, a warm feeling inside of me. Honestly, it's been so long since I've had someone to talk to bedsides Icy and Darcy, and it feels… nice. Musa doesn't give two shits about the rumours and she even went out of her way to get the music selection form. Also, now I can see why Darcy was so irritated with Iorda. Not that she's annoying, but I can see that Darcy still has trouble believing she's a good person. Icy and I try our best to reassure her, though it hasn't helped as much as we hoped it would.

But Iorda doesn't care about the rumour. She was fine interacting with me, so I can guess that when she and Darcy had to do the exercise my sister was probably… conflicted and very confused. Maybe also stressed. Actually, never mind, she wasdefinitelystressed. But even if she was… over text she actually seemed angry. Not full of guilt and self-hate like I know she is, even if she tries to hide it. But angry.

Hm…

Things might just be getting better. Maybe.

A/N:

To natong's review(s), omg yes Darcy is going to take a long time to warm up to Iorda! She sees someone who reminded Darcy of herself, and for some reason, doesn't think she's a bad person. And so, Darcy no like-ie.